Letters
by peculiarities
Summary: Five letters Glinda writes Elphaba. Occurs over the course of the musical. Slight Fiyeraba, but it's mainly Glinda-centric.


I_ know this is a complete 180 from what I used to write for, and I know it's been over a year since I published my last story and months since I updated my last one but here you go anyway! Also, my first wicked fic, so the characterization may be a bit off, but I'll work on it._

_This story is also less about the actual letters than the situations that happened to cause them, btw!_

_I also changed the plot just a little bit, I made Glinda write letters after major plot points and then the rest of the regular plot follows. So basically things are just a bit slowed down, but just in case you were wondering why it's slightly different, it was so Glinda could get her emotions out directly after the fact._

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Wicked!_**

* * *

><p>Galinda Upland flounced onto her bed, the poofy skirt of her new dress pooling around her legs.<p>

Her Momsie and Popsicle had taken her shopping as a way of showing their excitement for her impromptu visit to the Uplands. Her parents had thought she was going to spend her holiday at Shiz, but Galinda had decided at the last minute to pay a visit to her dearest parents, despite her reservations of leaving her new friend.

Elphie clearly was not going home if she had the choice.

_"Besides, Galinda," Elphaba had said, "it's not like my father wants me home anyway. He wouldn't even care if I never came home, except for he'd have to find a new caretaker for Nessa." _

_Galinda had chewed her lip and tentatively replied, "But I don't want to leave you alone...I told you I would stay with you since Nessa is going home for the break...and Fiyero's not even going to be here to keep you company either!"_

_Elphaba had rolled her eyes and said, "I would rather go home and obey every single command from Frex than spend even a moment with Fiyero when not forced. Then again, there would be no witnesses to worry about when I undoubtedly combust by the sheer pressure of being in the presence of someone so utterly brainess for-" here she was cut off by Galinda's exasperated, "Elphieee..."_

_She had snickered and said, "Sorry. But Galinda, if this is about you worrying about me not having loving parents like your," she snorted," Momsie and Pop...sicle, and you feel bad, I could not care less."_

_"It's not about that." Galinda had said. It was._

_"Galinda, just go. If you ever feel a compelling need to talk to me, which I doubt will happen, write me a letter."_

_"A letter...?" Galinda had echoed. "I've only ever written letters to my parents. But oh, Elphie, because of your kindness to have let me leave like this, I will write you so much it'll feel like I'm actually here!" Galinda had cried dramatically._

_Elphaba had smiled, "Sure thing, Glin."_

Now, completely tired from her shopping day, Galinda considered the idea. She actually had had no intention of writing a letter.

Not that she didn't want to! In fact, she was completely surprised by how much she wanted to talk to Elphie. She had never had a friend who she felt like talking to so much when it didn't benefit her.

But she simply wasn't the writing type. She had assumed she would have been too busy to write anyway, so why did it matter?

Thinking about it now however, the idea of writing Elphie seemed more and more appealing. Galinda had always loved talking about her day, and Elphie was the best listener she had ever had as a friend (except when she made sarcastic comments in the middle of her stories, especially ones she couldn't understand. But she couldn't do that on paper! Another plus).

Galinda steeled herself, pen in hand, and sat down at her small desk. Then she shook her head and smiled at her own silliness. It was only Elphie, after all! Writing essays for her professors at Shiz had ruined her from writing casual letters! There was another reason that college wasn't all good like Elphie insisted!

_Dear Elphie,_

_ Look! I'm writing you a letter just like I said I would! I bet you were expecting I wouldn't but ha! guess you're finally wrong!_

_ Anyway, I went shopping today with Momsie, and we'll be going out to dinner with Popsicle later. Oh, they have the cutest boutiques that just opened after I left for Shiz! I wish you were her to see them. I know you don't like sparkles or ruffles, but what if it's black? I bet you would look so nice if you just let me put you in what I want to. :(_

_ But as for me, I got..._

Here Galinda went into a long description of her purchases of the day, what she snacked on at the chic cafes situated around the outdoor mall, the fashions she saw, whose party she was going to go to later this week, and other things of the like.

She wrote until it was time for dinner_, _when she looked at the time and panicked when she realized she had less than a half hour to freshen up for dinner.

She sent the letter the next day, and got Elphie's reply a day later. She mostly talked about the happenings of the few students staying in the Shiz area (apparently Fiyero was not leaving until next week, and having no other friends to stay with, was bugging her to no end).

_Personally, though, I can appreciate the fact that he didn't immediately gravitate towards those featherbrained bimbos that seem to follow him in a cult, especially since he's dating you now._

But one part really stuck with her and made her smile, and that was when Elphaba had written:

_Galinda, I had no doubt you would write. I may have thought you were a liar when I first met you, but you have quickly proved me wrong. In fact, you've got one of the biggest hearts I've ever seen._

And then most likely feeling awkward with emotion, she wrote:

_Guess you have yet to prove me wrong!_

Elphie's writing had brightened up her holidays so much...In fact, Galinda bought an adorable pink diary the next day, and silently dedicated it to Elphie, for her brilliant idea that writing could help Galinda relax.

* * *

><p>Glinda once again flounced on her bed, this time in a very different situation. Instead of daydreaming of friends and shopping trips, she was crying into her pillow.<p>

It didn't help that her room was a mess as well. In her hurried state to pack when Elphie had asked for Glinda to accompany her to the Emerald City, she hadn't straightened up in the slightest afterwards.

She had no doubt that if Elphaba was here, she would be lecturing Glinda for not tidying up at once and leaving the mess for later, while cleaning it herself. But that was the problem- Elphaba wasn't here.

In fact, nobody had any clue where Elphaba went, except for she flew to the West. Who even knew anymore? And why did it matter when Elphie could be anywhere, without food, shelter, or water, hurt, or maybe even dead-

Glinda pressed her face into her pillow, feeling another batch of tears coming to her eyes. She couldn't think like that. Elphie was the smartest out of anyone she knew, and the most capable. She would be fine, and there was no way in Oz she was going down without a fight. If Elphaba was dead, she would have no doubt heard about it, seeing as a whole town probably would've been demolished.

Glinda smiled a bitter smile to herself at this thought. If she had taken the chance, she wouldn't have been in this situation. But she had made the right choice by not going with Elphie. She would help from the inside, if she could. Everything would be fine.

She had Fiyero beside her, though she wondered if he truly wished for the same thing. She was sure that they were fated to be together, but after the day of Dr. Dillamond's departure, he had changed.

And that day at the train station sending Elphaba off, he had brought a bouquet of poppies. He brought Glinda flowers all the time, roses, which he knew were her favorite. But he brought poppies this time, and gave them to Elphaba, which wasn't surprising, since it was Elphie's big day. But he spent the rest of the time staring at Elphaba, without a second glance at Glinda.

And when Glinda arrived at the train station on the way back, barely keeping it together, she couldn't help but notice that it was a bouquet of poppies that fell to the ground when she ran and hugged him, not roses.

Glinda groaned, her emotional state making her feel worse. The problem at hand was about Elphie, but what could she do if the only person she had with her left her for the one that was already gone?

She knew that she was probably overanalyzing the situation, but she still needed to get her thoughts under control. What would Elphie tell her to do if she was here?

But even as she tried to think of a solution, her muddled brain couldn't make sense of what was happening. She jumped off the bed angrily and punched the wall, crying softly when the pain cleared her head slightly. She was just so stupid, she couldn't even make up something that Elphie could've said to her.

Suddenly filled with a complete anger at her situation, combined with her flair for drama, she looked wildly around the room for something that would make a drastic difference.

Running into the bathroom, she looked around for something to change her appearance. Spotting the scissors, she quickly picked them up and grabbed a lock of her hair.

Finally looking up into the mirror, she saw her appearance and made a dead stop.

She had _never_ looked this wild. None of her problems had ever been big enough to make her nose _this_ red, to make her eyes _this_ puffy, for the bruise around her knuckles to be swelling like this.

She looked like a complete madwoman. What was she doing?

Cutting her hair was not going to change anything to help Elphaba, wherever she was. All it was going to do was make Fiyero, who she had promised to explain everything to later when she calmed herself more, worry about her sanity. She had to calm down.

She took in a deep breath. She exhaled.

Then she splashed some water on her face, and walked out of the bathroom so sit on her bed.

Her mind wandered to the last time she had been separated from Elphie, that break that felt oh-so long ago, how much better she had felt by writing.

She scrunched her nose in thought, then abruptly rose from her bed and began frantically searching for a piece of paper and a pen.

She pushed all the clothes and beauty products off of her desk, only faintly hearing the shattering of a glass bottle on the floor.

Putting her pen to the paper, she wrote frantically, trying to get all her thoughts onto paper.

For the better part of an hour, she wrote about all her troubles and the happenings.

But looking at the paper after she was finished, she found it very shallow, something she had never seen before.

And then she knew how to be useful.

Leaving the paper lying on her desk, she changed her outfit and reapplied her makeup, blowing a sharp breath out of her mouth when she realized the shattered glass bottle had been her favorite fragrance.

She quickly applied a different one and left the dorm room in a hurry, heading straight to Fiyero's room. He was probably beside himself with worry, and there was no rational Elphaba to explain things to him.

Over the next few days she gathered information about the rumors and reports of the newly dubbed 'Wicked Witch of the West'.

She compiled all of them into a new letter and folded both letters into an envelope, when she realized there was no mailing address to send them to.

She decided to send them to Elphaba's home in Munchkinland, in the faint hope that she would be keeping in touch with her household just enough to get the letters.

When the letters were returned to sender a few days later, she did not lose hope. However when the next five had the same fate, and were followed by an explicit 'STOP' letter, she finally gave up.

In the meantime she tried to subtly tried to defend Elphie from her classmates, something Fiyero, who was getting into fights over her left and right, did not appreciate.

She finally told him to stop, telling him that she was trying her hardest, and when he still wouldn't listen, told him, "The way you're going, you'll be expelled, and that would be the biggest disappointment to Elphaba." He stopped soon after that, and instead displayed a growing interest in doing well. Come to think of it, she did too.

Things carried on in this stilted manner until she got _her _letter from the Wizard, with an offer she couldn't refuse.

* * *

><p>"Miss Glinda, one more picture!"<p>

Although Glinda was quite accustomed to the paparazzi chasing her, she would never know how to politely tell them off. Until then she agreed to the small requests and then hurried away to 'work'.

She smiled and waved at the cameras, figuring it could do no harm to stay for five more minutes in the spotlight.

"Miss Glinda, a question!" one man cried.

"Yes, ask away!" she smiled.

"Who is your inspiration to keep up the goodly work that you do?" the man asked, notebook and pen poised to write her answer down.

Glinda paused for half a second, taking a true moment to think about her answer. Of course her answer to the reporter ended up being, "Why, our great Wizard, of course!"

The reporter frowned slightly as he wrote down her answer, knowing he couldn't form gossip about her disloyalty to the Wizard, as he was her answer. By this time, Glinda knew how to give safe answers. A year in the spotlight in the City trained her quickly.

"My fellow Ozians!" she cried to the small crowd that had gathered around her. "I must depart to attend to some very important business! I will see you all soon!"

She tried to keep a straight face as she used her newest, never-before seen magic trick. A glistening pink bubble materialized at encased her, and she began to lift off the ground.

As the people ooh-ed and aah-ed beneath her, she briefly thought that Elphie could probably do so much more than her little parlor tricks. Her bubble was the first useful thing that she had magicked. Nevertheless, she was making progress, and quickly banished all thoughts of other witches from her mind as she focused on keeping the bubble from popping.

Sure enough, the news of her great magic talent was in every newspaper the next day. Through it all, her mind was blank, focusing on the attention of her adoring fans.

It wasn't until later that night when she was cutting out the front page of the _Daily Ozian _for her scrapbook, did she think of Elphaba again. These people thought that her bubble was the greatest magic they had ever seen, but Glinda knew better than to think she was a master. She had seen true raw power, and she sure as Oz didn't possess it.

She knew she was the back-up, that Madame Morrible had chosen her as a second choice, since her first choice had rebelled.

Even as she finished cutting out the page and pasting it into her scrapbook, she was filled with a strange feeling.

Smoothing out her page and closing her scrapbook, Glinda was suddenly filled with a desire to do something she had not done for over a year.

She moved the scrapbook over on her table, and pulled out a blank piece of paper.

This letter was not overly happy like her first, or out of control with confusion like her second. This one was just a letter.

Glinda wrote as if she was writing to a friend she had not seen in a couple of days, talking about her life and asking the reader how theirs was.

As if the last time she had seen Elphaba wasn't almost two years ago.

As if Elphaba would read it and reply in an equally calm manner.

As if Elphaba's life was even calm enough to write a letter about it back.

Frowning slightly, Glinda changed her tone. This time she was the student, asking for advice.

She still knew Elphaba would not reply, but she felt better acknowledging that Elphaba was better than her. It eased her shame in the slightest.

So that's what it was. Shame.

Glinda knew that she wasn't as good as all the Ozians believed her to be.

She's not the one who rebelled against her biggest dreams just because there was injustice amongst the lower classes. She wasn't the one who surrendered the comfort of an easy life to work for the rights of citizens whose rights were almost impossible to procure.

Elphaba would have been so much more suited for this position. The only thing that was more to Glinda's style than Elphaba's, and that was the public speaking. Otherwise, Elphaba would have fit right in in the Emerald City.

Glinda sometimes questioned how fit for this job she was, and how much good she was truly doing.

She mainly associated with the aristocrats. The only times she was truly seen with the lower class was when she visited the orphanages for public events. It wasn't that she didn't want to help. The complete opposite, actually, she truly loved and wanted to help her people. But the last time she had mingled with the poorer people, Madame Morrible had threw a fit about how she was tarnishing her reputation, and she was simply not brave enough to rebel against her superiors like...

She constantly caught the poorer Ozian's eyes when she was out and about, and saw the love and admiration for her. She had to admit, she basked in it, but when she was alone she often wondered how they could love her so much when she barely did anything for them. She wanted to take their hands and kiss their cheeks in friendliness and let them really _know_ how much she cared, to let them know Madame Morrible was the only thing standing between them.

Glinda was many things, and as superficial as she might have been, she had no qualms about associating with lower classes. Even when she was Galinda, she cared much less about social classes than her peers, which ultimately allowed for her to befriend Elphaba.

And, Oz, the irony of the whole situation! Elphaba, who genuinely cared enough to risk her reputation in the public eye, who would never have to think twice before helping an unfortunate citizen, was the enemy. She had been the one who was now labeled a Wicked Witch, while Glinda was seen as Good. She wanted to yell, do something very un-Glinda the Good to make the Ozians see their mistake, but they were so blind that they believed the Wizard and Morrible without a doubt.

At least Glinda had Fiyero who understood, but she couldn't help but feel slightly...uncomfortable when talking about Elphaba. Not uncomfortable as in fidgety, but slightly awkward. He had so much more passion for the whole situation, or at least he voiced it more. He seemed angrier than her, and she couldn't help but feel they had different reasons for their outlook on the whole situation.

So because she couldn't talk to Fiyero about Elphaba, here she was, trying to talk to Elphaba herself. She sighed and looked at the letter she had written. She skimmed it and bit her thumb in embarrassment. She sounded unsure, and weak.

She put on a determined face and put the letter into her desk drawer, behind other things. She may have had her moment of vulnerability, but Glinda the Good could show none of that. With Elphie in mind, she would face the days ahead.

* * *

><p>Glinda screamed slightly as she kicked the door shut behind her, hot and angry tears spilling down her cheeks. Madame Morrible and the Wizard would be expecting her in an hour to talk about what happened, but she had made it clear she needed her space right then.<p>

She grasped at her hair slightly as her other hand covered her mouth and nose as she breathed irregularly.

She was upset, so so so upset, and devastated and at the same time she felt resignation.

She had _known_ this was coming, had known it for a long time. Maybe even since Shiz, so why was it such a surprise?! Why did it hurt so much?

She tried to kick her shoes off, but she tripped over her feet, and in a manner which she barely displayed, fell in a heap on her bed. The frustration of the whole situation got to her and she simply sobbed into her hands.

After she had calmed down slightly, she wiped the tears on her face with her fist, and glanced by the mirror.

_Oz,_ she looked a mess. What would the citizens of Oz say if they saw her now, her mascara smudged around her face along with her other eye makeup, and her eyes red and puffy? Actually, what would the Ozians say if they knew about this whole damn situation? The man she had been with for so many years, who she thought loved her, had run off with her best friend. Former best friend? No...it felt strange for Elphaba to not be her best friend, but how could she forgive her after this?

It made it worse if she thought about the specifics. How long had Fiyero pined after her, to run off within the blink of an eye? And what they were doing right now- she didn't even want to think about that.

Glinda suddenly felt so much frustration and anger, and desperately looked around the room for an outlet. She didn't want to break anything, she knew it would just make her feel worse if she destroyed her possessions.

She saw a letter she had been writing to some official on the table, and she pursed her lips and ripped off what she had already wrote.

_Elphaba,_ she wrote, and realized that it was Elphaba who had given her this whole idea. It just filled her with more of the confusifying feelings she had been feeling, but she could feel definite anger brimming.

_I hate you. I hate you so much. I hate that you're ruining my life and that I still consider you my friend. How can you do this to me?!_

Glinda desperately wanted to blame this on Elphaba, but for some reason, she couldn't allow herself to. The fact that she couldn't blame her filled her with endless frustration. It felt like she was limiting her anger, when she had the right to let it out.

_How can you take the only person I had in this stupid city? The only person who understood my situation and you took him. How can you be so heartless?!_

The thought that she was alone hit her.

Glinda was completely alone...she had no one who truly mattered.

She shoved her fist into her mouth to stop the hysterical sounds that were coming out, and her tears smudged the ink on the paper.

_The people love me. I should have so many friends. But I have _no one._ No one, Elphaba, and its all because of you._

All rationality was forgotten as Glinda continued to blame Elphaba for her problems. She had this right, she could at least be mad if Elphaba had taken everything else.

And it wasn't just Elphaba, it was_ Fiyero_ too.

Fiyero, who she had been with since Shiz...Oh!

Her mind flashed back to the poppies at the train station, to the strange behavior after Dr. Dillamond was removed...so _this_ was what it was about?

Glinda had thought it was only a crush, but apparently it was something much deeper.

And...how deep did it really run?! What suddenly changed to make Fiyero so moodified and distant, and what made him so distant since Shiz to now? Were Fiyero and Elphaba...this whole time?

_How dare you, Elphaba?! Were you even my friend, this whole time, or were you just plotting to take Fiyero and take my whole life away right when I thought I had it figured out? And...on the evening of my engagement ball! The nerve, I never realized you were so cold and heartless._

It was cruel, wasn't it? Glinda thought if she could only fix the situation with Fiyero, her life could finally continue as peacefully as living a lie could, and what better way to fix the situation then with a marriage?

Apparently Fiyero and Elphaba were content lying to her and playing with her feelings for years, but this was too far all of a sudden. No, on the happiest night of her life, they had to go and ruin everything.

Glinda groaned tearfully and while moving her hand, knocked the ink over onto the letter, the ink blending all the words.

Staring wide eyed at the mess on her desk, Glinda took several deep breaths, feeling a scream building in her throat and then-

The knock at the door made Glinda's head whip around, afraid that whoever it was would open the door. Whoever it was didn't, which was good because they wouldn't see her in this state, but it also meant word of this had gotten out.

"What is it?" Glinda asked, perhaps a bit rudely, but most of the emotion was concealed. She had gotten good at concealing emotion from her time in the City, and apparently Fiyero had too because she never saw this coming-

"His Ozness and Madame Morrible are requesting your presence in the throne room."

Glinda sighed. She dreaded going down there.

"Um, Miss Glinda...I don't mean to step out of my place, but I'm sure they'll rescue Captain Tiggular from the Wicked Witch." Then whoever was at the other side of the door squeaked slightly, as if they couldn't believe their audacity, and scampered away.

Glinda sat still for a moment, her jaw more unhinged than it normally was.

_Oh, is that what they're telling people now? Another lie, I suppose, it's only right for Madame Morrible._

But Glinda wanted to scream the terrible crime the two people who she thought were closest to her had committed. Elphaba and Fiyero did not deserve this immunity from the hatred of the citizens, they didn't deserve this free pass!

But now was not the time for loud displays of emotion, Glinda was more refined than that.

With anger simmering dangerously close to the surface, a volatile Glinda tidied up her appearance and made her way back out into the public.

* * *

><p>Glinda entered her rooms, which had been renovated almost five years ago. A renovation fit for a new ruler of Oz.<p>

She had just meant it as a new look for her room, but it really changed the atmosphere of the room. It sort of signified the start of her new life, where she stopped being controlled and started making things right. She got rid of many of her old possessions and bought new ones, and basically turned over a new leaf.

Or maybe she was just over-analyzing it. She had been doing a lot of analyzing recently, with all the looking into laws and people's situations and all.

And speaking of people's situations- today was a very big day for citizen rights! Glinda had been giddy all day with the reception of her newest law- the ban of blatant segregation against Animals.

The citizens of Oz had been overwhelmingly positive to the new law, and Glinda was glad all of her hard work was paying off. Ever since the very beginning of her reign, she had one goal especially in mind- to help the Animals become equal. Of course, she helped all of Oz, but the Animals had a special place in her heart, since a special person had advocated for them so strongly.

And Glinda had spent five long years gradually introducing the idea very subtly so that there would be no outright protest to the idea. Of course, politicians were not stupid, and they realized what she was doing, but thank Oz nobody tried to protest strongly. Some lessened support for Glinda, but she was so influential that they had no choice but to ally with her again.

The King and Queen of the Vinkus were among the first, and Glinda suspected they had a soft spot for her ever since her relationship with their son. The Governor of Munchkinland also was quick to respond, the famous Tin Man. It was strange, Glinda didn't see his reason, and he always seemed closed-off and emotionless, but Glinda wasn't complaining about the support.

After that, most of them accepted the laws, since there was no logical reason to protest. With their rulers doing nothing to stop the impending bans, the people started to become more open minded, and gradually Glinda got to the point where she was now. Of course, she didn't have absolutely everyone's support, but who could?

And today was a significant day to place the ban- it was the day the Wicked Witch of the West was killed...or the day the whole of Oz celebrated the death of Glinda's very best friend.

Glinda picked this day because she knew the Animals and the activists in favor of the Animals would eventually celebrate this day, and as selfish as it was, if someone else could not celebrate Elphie's death with her, she would be better off.

And she was sure some other citizens didn't celebrate this day either, as Elphaba undoubtedly helped many Animals and maybe even people if she could, but none would dare say that out loud for fear of being harmed. And not to Glinda, anyway. For all the masses knew, she was at the head of the hunt for the Witch.

That couldn't be farther than the truth, of course. The most she could hope for was more people not celebrating this awful day. And a day where the Witch was forgotten, where all citizens were equal- oh, what a vision! That was Glinda's goal now, so different from her dreams when she was only a girl.

Now she was nearing her late twenties, and she was nowhere near married and definitely not throwing grand parties as the wife of a rich man who adored her, and the farthest from raising children who would grow up with exactly the same fantasies that she had growing up.

No, her life had been filled with so much more anxiety and stress than any twenty year old in Oz probably, save one green-skinned individual.

Nevertheless, today she felt so _free_, freer than she had felt in a long time. For five years she had been working towards these laws for the animals, and she finally had achieved her goal. Of course, there would be more to follow, but she had passed the law, given the press conference, and made it happen, and she finally felt like she had done something that would make Elphaba proud.

Oh, if Elphaba was in her (very sparkly) shoes, she wouldn't stop yet. She would've said there was much more to be done, and kept on working until all of Oz was just how she wanted it, and Glinda would be there to drag her out to have fun, and Fiyero would love her like deceptively kind-hearted Elphie deserved to be loved, since she was no longer bitter of their love. How could she, now, when all that had happened was they had fallen in love? Five years gives a lot of perspective, after all.

And Elphaba would have accomplished so much more in her lifetime, but Glinda was working hard to try to accomplish something that would make Elphaba truly proud. She would make herself qualified for this job, in a way that would make Elphie _so_ proud. It would come in time, but as she got older and wiser, Glinda realized that she could do it. And she wouldn't stop until she did.

Filled with love for her lost friend, Glinda sat down with a faint smile tinged with sadness, and picked up a pen and a piece of paper.

As she wrote, she realized this was the first letter where she was...at peace. Or at least calm. She felt totally neutral, and so she simply wrote a sweet letter, full of grievances and her plans for Oz.

She was sure if anyone found this letter, she would be overthrown, because she had put so many personal things in it, and also secrets about her life and Elphaba and Fiyero's that could never be revealed.

She bit her lip and pondered what to do with the dangerous but meaningful letter. She looked around her room and saw her fireplace. Didn't people burn important documents? Glinda didn't know if she was making that up, but this letter was a true important document.

She started a small fire, and when it had gotten a bit larger, she put the letter in the fire and watched it burn while inhaling and exhaling deeply.

Once the whole letter was burnt to ashes, Glinda put out the fire, but the whole affair seemed anticlimactic. Struck by a sudden idea, she gathered the ashes, and stepped onto her balcony which overlooked the garden, at her insistence.

She looked at the ashes cupped in her palm for a moment, until the wind picked up. Then, taking a deep breath, she released the ashes and watched them fly over the garden and into the beautiful green of the city.

And as she watched the ashes fly over the city that she struggled to rule justly, she knew Elphaba would've been proud.

* * *

><p><em>I've been kind of building this for a while...this is the longest I've ever taken on a fic, and I think it shows in the length! Please review as a welcome back present?<em>

_Also: about my other stories, but mainly Happenings: Whether or not I update that one anymore is completely in the air...if I get struck by inspiration then I might, but I'm taking a little bit of time to find my writing style again after being away for so long, but feel free to send requests and stuff in and I'll try to get them all written!_


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